Enterprise Signs Franchise Agreement in Turkey

Enterprise Rent-A-Car has reached an agreement with Yes Oto Kiralama, a subsidiary of Gurbaslar Automotive Group, to extend its car rental brand into Turkey. The agreement with Yes Oto Kiralama is part of an expansion program designed to give Enterprise widespread coverage across Europe.

In 2013 alone, Enterprise has established agreements with franchise partners representing 19 European markets. These countries, together with the U.K., Ireland, Germany, France and Spain where Enterprise operates a wholly-owned network, account for more than 90 percent of the European rental market.

As one of Europe’s fastest growing markets with a population of more than 70 million, Turkey is located at a critical meeting point between Europe and the Middle East. In addition, Turkey was the seventh most popular tourist destination in the world in 2012, attracting more than 27 million visitors.

Founded in 1978, Gurbaslar Group is one of the country’s longest established and most successful businesses. Initially focused on automobile tires and battery retail, the company founded Yes Oto Kiralama as a rental car brand in 1990. Today, Yes Oto Kiralama operates a fleet of more than 2,000 vehicles at 43 branches nationwide, including 22 terminal locations across 16 airports.

Peter A. Smith, vice president of global franchising at Enterprise, said, “ … Our agreement with Yes Oto Kiralama is another example of finding a like-minded business that has been consistently successful by focusing on customer needs. We are confident that through this partnership, we will continue to grow and bring new opportunities to our customers and our employees at a time when demand for rental across Europe is growing.”

Adnan Basdemir, chairman and owner of Gurbaslar Automotive Group, said: “Over the past 23 years, Yes Oto Kiralama has grown by listening to customers and being attentive to service and quality. … Our future growth will depend on targeting more inbound travelers to Turkey, and our partnership with Enterprise Rent-A-Car will provide an ideal platform for extending our business to this vital customer group. We also see scope for expanding services to domestic customers at a time when we see demand continuing to grow.”